The Lame Little Deer and it’s Lesson

Everyday, four does and their four babies come right by my front window on their “daily path” to check out my bird seed in feeders and on the ground. Bringing up the rear is one buck. There used to be either a young one with a very small set of antlers or a full-grown one with a large rack.

At a holiday party last week, I heard stories of the police out on the main road picking up a dead, gored and bloody buck. I assume it was the young one, for this past week the adult buck was back as the caboose of the herd. This distressed me but it is the way of nature.

Sadly, there is one baby who is lame with his hind leg crooked at the hock. He can hobble-walk and keeps up with the others, but I can tell he is in pain for he holds his leg up. I have shed tears for this little one.

However, the other night at dusk, after his mother ate some of the sunflower seed off the frosty ground, resolutely keeping an eye on her baby, I witnessed an act of great tenderness and love. When she was done, she softly walked over to her waiting, crippled babe. She reached down and nuzzled him, licked him gently, almost like she was kissing his little muzzle. I took a deep breath as I was witnessing the care of this parent for her hurting son.

As I pondered all this, I thought of grief being like a lame, hind leg. It can cripple you so you are stuck in grief, not being able to cope with life. Or you can pretend it’s not there, but it will re-surface, sometimes in a split second. Grief will always be with you, but you must learn how to adjust and go on. Hopefully, you have friends or family members or best of all, the church to aid you, to nuzzle you with encouragement to go on. If you have no one, go help someone else! It is guaranteed to make you feel better.

This hind leg of grief you carry may allow you to function. You may be able to keep up with the world, but that hurt can be a permanent part of your heart. It can keep you off balance. If you let grief, hurt or bitterness rule your heart, you will be in danger. Your life is about more than your hurts and losses. When you stay close to God, you can move on.

Don’t let the hurts of life be a thief, to take away the good things in life. Don’t let your attached or dangling pain rob you of hope. Don’t let the thieves of life – anger, bitterness, pain, loss, rejection, steal from you anymore than they have! “Plow to the end of the road,” as Jim Kennedy would often say. (page 331 My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz).